hello all its been a couple weeks since I posted, Porkchop and I have been busy with obedience classes and taking full advantage of the last few days of summer ...she loves to swim and play in the woods and meet new people and dogs on the trails around our house she is getting soooo big....45 pounds at 4 months old. I don't know what an "average" weight is but I have a feeling she's gonna be a big girl <3

We've been battling an almost constant urinary tract infection with struvite crystals since we brought her home at 6 weeks old. she's been on hill's c/d prescription food for the last month and a couple courses of antibiotics and it seems to be helping a little but the crystals are still there and she still has to pee every 15 minutes And because her immune system has taken such a beating she's also developed demodex mange. we started treating that about 6 weeks ago and while shes less itchy she still has a ton of bald patches. it finally seems that new ones have stopped popping up, but its far from gone. so what I'm wondering is if anyone has any tips for boosting her immune system? also if anyone has dealt with urinary issues like this and has any tips I'd appreciate any help we can get. I've pretty much resolved myself to the fact that she's going to be a high maintenance princess for the rest of her life (lol)

You could ask your vet if potassium citrate with cranberry would help her. My vet suggested it to me after my old dog had a uti. Salmon oil is helpful for skin issues, not so far as curing mange, but maybe with the itchiness. I'm not sure about helping her immune system, maybe someone else will chime in. I hope your little princess feels better soon.

You can also get the pure cranberry extract capsules at your local CVS/Rite Aid/Grocery store and give that 2 times a day depending on her weight. Be sure to offer plenty of water! When Lady Bug was still with us (RIP) she had really bad UTI. I ended up getting past it after 2 years of meds by combining cranberry extract with the meds. I can look to see what the final meds were that worked later when I get home. I know Clavamox didn't help, it was only a band aid. I think it may have been Baytril? I'll check though.

If they haven't already done a urine culture, that would be a good next step. The bacteria in her bladder may be resistant to the meds she is on and the culture will tell you which is the best medication to use.